Quoted from passage above {{Even the cops know the speed limits thing is a con — else why let some people go? (Do they ever let bank robbers off with just a warning if they have a good sob story?)

Of course not. When the crime is real, the rules are inflexible. But like us, when it comes to speeeeeeding, they have to play this stupid game. Only it’s not them getting the tickets — or groveling in an attempt to avoid one.}}

Phil writes(1st off speeding isn’t a crime unless it reaches the point of reckless endangerment and If it reached the point where it would be considered a crime there would be no warning for it. Because speeding is only an offense of law and not an actual crime the officers can give the benefit of doubt to the offender it is called officer discretion. This is a function of the car’s speedometer having a deviation of +/- 5mph, the officers speed estimate a deviation of +/- 5mph and the RADAR having a deviation of +/- 1 mph. Typically on interstates this is rounded up to 15mph and that is where enforcement starts. You may get pulled over for less and issued a warning but seldom do citations get written for less than these cumulative deviations. Give the officer a hard time and what originally was to be a warning might just become a citation.)

You are correct. When the 55 limit was implemented in 1974, insurance companies did not lower auto insurance rates.

However, there doesn’t appear to be any question about the insurance company’s policy of raising the rates of drivers who receive speeding tickets.

Is this policy based on any statistical correlation between speeding tickets and accidents? The answer: no, as there is no such correlation.

Cheers,

Flash

Governor of NJ Jon Corzine’s accident is perfect proof that under posted speed limits cause accidents. In my opinion this is accessory to murder by State legislators because thousands have died on our highways that otherwise would be alive today if speed limits were more reasonable.

Here we have a trooper trying to go 90-100 MPH on a big multilane Autobahn type highway with an under posted speed limit of 55, the speed differences of this situation caused the Jon’s accident. This would never have happened on the Autobahn with traffic flow of 90-100 mph with lane discipline.

“. . . . . . We have fallen into a situation where for a variety of reasons we are setting speed limits that are not realistic. . They are setting speed limits that are too low. . We’re legislating them, and once you legislate speed limits, invariably the speed limit is at about the 50th percentile. . So, here you have a traffic regulation that’s enforceable by law and half of the people are exceeding it when you put it in place. . That makes no sense to us. . So, what we’re trying to do is get the states to agree that they will set speed limits in accordance with the 85th percentile, which is where most people travel. . Most people are sane. . Most people will not put themselves in undue hazard. . . . . . . . “

“. . . . . . We have deteriorated the value of speed limits and now find the disregard for speed limits is spilling over into other traffic-control devices — disregard of red lights, disregard of stop signs.

If we have any hope of moving the population back to where it ought to be, we have to set reasonable speed limits.”

Federal Highway Administration

Report No. . FHWA/RD-85/096 Technical Summary, “Synthesis of Speed Zoning Practice” which states:

“Based on the best available evidence, the speed limit should be set at the speed driven by 85 to 90 percent of the free-moving vehicles rounded up to the next 5 mph increment. . This method results in speed limits that are not only acceptable to a majority of the motorists, but also fall within the speed range where accident risk is lowest.”

1990 ITE PUB# PP-020 (sponsored by FHWA and AASHTO)

“It would be premature to draw any firm conclusions since the research is still underway. . However the findings to date suggest that, on average, current speed limits are set too low to be accepted as reasonable by the vast majority of the drivers. . Only about 1 in 10 speed zones has better than 50 percent compliance. . The posted limits make technical violators out of motorists driving at reasonable and safe speeds.

For the traffic law system to minimize accident risk, then speed limits need to be properly set to define maximum safe speed. . Our studies show that most speed zones are posted 8 to 12 mi/h below the prevailing travel speed and 15 mi/h or more below the maximum safe speed. . Increasing speed limits to more realistic levels will not result in higher speeds but would increase voluntary compliance and target enforcement at the occasional violator and high risk driver.

One way for restoring the informational value of speed limits requires that we do a better job of engineering speed limits. . Hopefully, the result of this research will provide engineers with the knowledge and tools needed to set maximum safe speed limits that are defensible and accepted by the public and the courts.”

Everybody who has done any research knows that the accident risk posed to a motorist based on speed represents a parabolic curve. There is a sweet spot with the lowest amount of accidents that corresponds to the 85-90th percentile speed or about 10-15 mph above the average speed. If you speed up or slow down from this point accident risk increases, more drastically by slowing down than speeding up.

The site below has a good collection of speed research graphs from various organizations such as FHWA, AASHTO, ITE, and Transportation Research Board. All of them illustrate a parabolic curve of speed risk. There is no direct or exponential graph of speed vs. accident risk, unless of course someone who is disingenuous cuts the parabolic graph in half only showing the right side of the graph and does not reference where the speeds fall in relation to average speed.

Scroll a little more than halfway down the page:

http://www.hwysafety.com/BHSPI_SettingSpeedLimits_CTCDC_060223.htm

I won’t even talk about the absurdity that all our bridges are designed to be “somewhat safe”.

You talk about bridge safety. An engineer may determine minimum strength a bridge would need to be to be somewhat safe but it is up to the people that are paying for the bridge to determine if they want it at a minimum strength or are willing to pay more for a bridge that is 50% stronger than the minimum. An engineer would determine that you could drive from point a to point b in a 50 hp car.

Speed limits are set for ideal conditions. This is not open to interpretation or opinion, it is standard traffic engineering practice. It is incumbent on the motorist to vary speed as necessary according to conditions. Variable speeds can help aid a motorist if such are posted like the night speed limits in Texas. However, if there is only one single speed limit posted, it is for ideal conditions. Buy a copy of the AASHTO and MUTCD manuals which according to federal regulations are the manuals for design standards and setting speed limits. Most of what you say is factually false.

Statutory speed limits are in violation of federal law because there is no engineering study done. Federal law states:

Section 2B.13 Speed Limit Sign (R2-1)
Standard:
After an engineering study has been made in accordance with established traffic engineering practices, the Speed Limit (R2-1) sign (see Figure 2B-1) shall display the limit established by law, ordinance, regulation, or as adopted by the authorized agency. The speed limits shown shall be in multiples of 10 km/h or 5 mph.

I called the Florida Department of Transportation and they openly admit there is not an engineering study and the limit is solely based on the statute that was created by politicians who have no traffic engineering credentials.

Only people who are benefiting from the abuse of the system would ever favor politicians setting speed limits over traffic engineers. Would you want to drive over a bridge that was voted on how strong it should be by a group of people who have no engineering credentials?

When we get electric automobiles, will you support scientifically-based traffic rules?